1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a tool storage device, more particularly to a tool storage device with a linkage mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to conveniently store and retrieve multiple tools or multiple tool heads of a tool, conventional tool storage devices are provided, such as those disclosed in Taiwanese Patents TW475509, TWM371068, TW582328, TWM241196, TWM241197, TWM389004, TW20137093 and TWM392723.
There are a variety of structures and operational methods for each of the aforementioned Patent cases. As an example, TW475509 and TWM371068 disclose conventional tool storage devices having the same limitation, which is the usage of a slide cap or lift cap that can be slid or lifted open. Storing members for tool heads are biased by springs to stand up so as to facilitate access of the tool heads.
Moreover, in Taiwanese Patents TW582328, TWM241196, TWM241197, TWM389004 and TW20137093, other conventional tool storage devices are disclosed in which the storing members and the caps are associated with a linkage mechanism, so that movement of the caps will simultaneously move the tool heads upright. In addition, in TWM392723, the user has to manually rotate a gear for driving each of the storing members to standup from a flat-lying position (i.e., from the horizontal position to the vertical position).
However, the abovementioned conventional tool storage devices still have a number of drawbacks to be overcome.
First, the movement range of each of the storing members is too small for the tools therein to be easily picked up by the user. The storing members are in parallel arrangement. Each of the storing members is pivotable about a longitudinal axis thereof. As such, the storing members are laid out to be disposed proximate to one another, and the user would not be able to pick up a tool head from a storing member without interference from neighboring tool heads or storing members.
Second, the opening and closing operations of the caps are not convenient and are time-consuming. Great force may be required to slide or lift the cap open.